Trackway-maintenance machine



Oct. 5 1926. 1,602,023

G. E. HIGGlNsoN TRACKWAY MAINTENANCE MACHINE Filed Deo. 1l, i925 4 Sheets-Sheet l s e h i ATTORNEY A oct. 5 1926.

1,602,023 G. E. HIGGlNSON Tmoxwm MAINTENANCE MAcmNE Filed Dec, 11, 1925 4 sheets-sheet 2 Oct. 5 1926. 1,602,023

G. E. HlGGlNSON TRACKWAY MMNTENANGE MACHINE Oct. 5 1926. 1,602,023

G. E. HIGGINSON TRAGKWAY MAlNT-ENANCE MAGHINE Filed Dec. l1, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor1 Attorney.

The adjustment of the shove-ls e2 and 43 is done by means of the connectingrods 83 pivotally secured to the shovel handles 15, these rods 83 being telescopically and resiliently held by the springs 84rin the eccentric.

rods 85 exten-ding outwardly from the straps 86 the latter forming` part with the bases 87, which are slidably mounted in the slideways 88 secured to the machine' The levers 94 are pivoted on the truck.

frame at their lower ends and therefore will turn the eccentrics within the straps and slide the latter forwardly and baekwardly. Each lever is operated in a quadrant 95 having a' latch 96 for locking purposes.

YThe spirit levels 97 and 98 are secured to the truck frame and are made with graduations to indicate the level of the rail lines in relation one to another for determining the proper transverse inclination of the trackway in rounding curves as well as tixing the level on the straight-away stretches,

rlhe platforms 99 and 100 are supported by the truck frame for the operators to attend to all matters in the elevating and lowering of the machine frame and the adjusting of the various parts.

'f ie truck drive is arranged from the motor shaft to the truck axle through the chain 100 and sprocket 101 and 102, said chain having a hooked link for detaching the drive during maintenance operations.

To raise the rails the tie rods 103 having hooked lowei` ends 104: are secured to the truck frame over the trackway rails` and are four in number, so that the truck and rails can be made a unit for lifting operations from the ground by means Vof the jacks.

The elevatable frame is lifted by means of the lever handle 105' and is pivoted in the rigid rear uprights from the truck frame 15, through the lever sections 106 and 107, said lever sections extending inwardly into the elevatable frame and havino pivotal connections with the lower bars thereof, through the links 108, therefore by appl 1- ing pressure to the handle 105 the shovel frame is lifted and the shovels adjusted and set in working position. Y

rlhe chain and sprocket connections may be loose enough to permit the raising of the shovel frame and if too slack, an idler in each may be employed to maintain the drives. .Y

ln the operation of this machine the maintenance crew drive the truck out to the stretch of road to be levelled under its own power, which may be by a chain and sprocket connection to the motor sha-finas described the chain being removed so that there is no interference with the movement of the ma; chine frame for the levelling work. Y

rihe gravel of the road bed is preferably loosened by hand work, then the machine frame which has been raised by means of the lever 104, is adjusted in order to positionthe shovels and during this operation` the crank shafts are declutched.

' The lowering of the frame is accomplished bythe lever as aforesaid or by any other suitable means. it the proper level digging purposes the frame stops and the crank shaft is connected and the worms Vde` clutched, then the levers operating the eccentrics are adjusted to bring vthe tie prop.- erly within the shovels. Vrllie motor is nonY started again and the crank shaft imparts a natural digging and tamping motion to each of the many shovels, until the proper Y frame areliftedl together from the ground Y and as the shovels are meanwhile workingV to capacity, the gravel and earth are tamped under't-he tie which is thus brought up to the raised rail, and tightly packed there-Vv under. y

This operation may be continued with all the ties requiring to be raised to jt-he level of the lifted rails thusproviding Va rapid means of levelling the complete section of traclrway being operated byl the maintenancecrew. Y

Y Vhat I claim is Y 1. In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck having a suitable frame, a machine frame mounted on said truck frame, tie rods adapted to fasten said frames to the trackway rails, oscillating shovels suspended in said machine frame, adjustable connecting rods engaging the shovel members, intermediately of their suspension, jacks adapted to lift said frames and rails and a motor oper` atively connected t0 the moving parts.

2. n a trackway maintenance machine, a`

truck having a suitable frame, a-'machine framemounted on said truck frame, tie rods adapted to fasten s'aidframes to the ltrackway rails, a crank shaft4 journalled on Vsaid machine frame, shovels having handles pivotally mounted on the cranks of said shaft, connecting rods pivotally secured to said handles and adjustably mounted on said machine frame, jack screws having nuts en# gaging. said machine frame, and a motor operatively connected to said crank shaft and to said jack nuts. f

3. In a trackway Vmaintenance machine, a truck and truck frame, anelevatable machine lio iso

frame having end and side bars, uprights, braces and struts, shaft bearings secured to the upper structure of said machine frame, means for slidably securing said frames t0 one another, a crank shaft journalled in said machine frame, shovels having handles pivotally secured to the cranks of said crank shaft and suspended therefrom, jack screws mounted on bases and extending upwardly and pivotally mounted on said truck frame and having nuts, worms engaging said nuts and journalled on said truck frame, tie bars from said truck frame having hooks adapted to engage the trackway rails and a motor connected to the crank shaft and worm.

Ll. ln a trackway maintenance machine, parallel crank shafts, a slidable frame mounted in said truck frame and supporting transverse bearings for said shafts, oscillatory shovels having handles secured to said cranks, eccentrics operated by levers and having slidable straps, connecting rods from said straps to said handles and resiliently joined to said straps to draw said shovels from Vopposite sides, and means for driving said shafts.

5. In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck frame and a machine frame slidably mounted thereon and having` guides extend ing into corresponding guideways in the truck frame, locking pins adapted to secure said guides to the elevated positions, digl ging and tamping members suitably driven and means for raising and lowering said machine frame.

6. In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck frame and a machine, frame slidably mounted thereon and having guides extending into corresponding guideways in the truck frame, locking pins adapted to secure said guides to the elevated positions, digging and tamping members suitably driven, a lever mechanism linked to said slidable frame and fulcrumed on the uprights of said truck frame.

7.v In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck frame and a machine, frame slidably mounted thereon, and having guides extending into corresponding guideways in the truck frame, locking pins adapted to secure said guides to the elevated positions, digging and tamping members suitably driven and worm driven jacks distributed in said frames and adapted to lift the truck and rails bodily.

8. In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck frame and a machine, frame slidably mounted thereon, and having guides extending into corresponding guideways in the truck frame, locking pins adapted to secure said guides to the elevated positions, digging and tamping members suitably driven, and worm driven jacks having screvxT shafts rising from bases and rotatable nuts with worm wheels and turning in bearings provided at the lower ends of jack heads pivotally attached to the truck frame.

9. In a trackway maintenance machine, a truck frame and a machine frame slidably mounted thereon, and having guides eXtending into corresponding guideways in the truck frame, locking pins adapteolto secure said guides to the elevated positions, digging and tamping members suitably driven,` and jack screws securedin bases and extending to the truck frame, nuts rotatable on said screws and having worm wheels thereon and upper journal surfaces, jack feet secured to the machine frame and extending downwardly therefrom and having in the under side recessed bearings for said nuts and worm shafts journalled in said machine frame and parallel and having worms engaging said worm' wheels and suitably driven.

l0. In trackway maintenance machines, shovel operating means including upper and lower frames and means for raising and lowering the former together with means for controlling the lowering apart from the driving means.

Signed at Montreal, Canada, this 30th day of October, 1925.

GEORGE EDWARD HIGGIN SON. 

